Monday, October 13, 2014

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

The first time I had Brussels sprouts was probably only 3
years ago. I had never even heard of them back in India and after I came to the
US, I was a little weary of trying them because of all the negativity around
the taste and smell of Brussels sprouts. Then one day as I was browsing through
some food blog, I came across a Brussels sprouts recipe and the picture looked
so good! I decided to look up different ways that people like to cook them,
combined a few ideas and ended up with one of my favorite Brussels sprouts
recipe. I’m sharing this recipe here in hopes of converting some Brussels
sprouts avoiders to seekers (or tolerators ;-P )

Vinaigrette (This vinaigrette would be good for about 2 pounds, but extra vinaigrette can be used as salad dressing)1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil~1 tbsp Dijon mustardHoneyGarlic (optional)SaltPepper

To make the vinaigrette, mix all the ingredients and whisk
until combined (adjust honey, mustard, salt, pepper to taste). You can make a
bigger batch and store it in the refrigerator. It tastes great as a salad
dressing or drizzled on roasted vegetables. I typically take it out of the
refrigerator about a half hour or so before using it so that the oil comes back
to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking with parchment paper
or silicone mat (not necessary, but the Brussels sprouts will come off easily
and also makes cleanup easier).

Wash the Brussels sprouts. Trim the stems and remove the
outermost leaves. Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise. Toss the sprouts with
about half the vinaigrette and make sure they are coated well (add some more if
required).

Arrange the sprouts cut side down on the baking sheet, and
bake for approximately 15-20 min until brown on the bottom. Flip them and bake
for another 10-15 min until the other side is browned. You may need to turn the
pan a couple times to get them browned evenly. The crispy leaves on the outside
taste great so don’t worry if you feel like a few are over-browned.

Remove from oven and add more vinaigrette to taste. Toss in
feta cheese and walnuts, and serve warm as a side.